Picnic table



Jan. 24, 1967 3,300,245

PICNIC TABLE Filed Jan. 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'INVENTOR.

Arne/15 Y3 F. J. RUMBLE PICNIC TABLE Jan. 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21. 1966 fen/o0 J I 41m:

INVENTOR.

BY 9W [Liv rne/visas United States Patent 3,300,245 PICNIC TABLE Fenton J. Rumble, 106 122ml Ave. W., Tampa, Fla. 33612 Filed Jan. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 522,293 7 Claims. (Cl. 297--157) This invention relates to a new structure for knockdown furniture and more specifically to an improved structure for a table-bench combination. The structure permits quick and easy assembly and disassembly whereby portability is accomplished if desired.

It has long been desired to effect a table-bench combination which could be transported or stored in minimum space. Otherwise, its bulk is objectionable. The trade has solved this problem to a limited extent but expensive construction and auxiliary fixtures such as hinges, support bars, tie rods, locks and the like must be utilized. Even then, an optimum compact structure is not fully realized. Witness for example, the common bridge tablechair combination, or the folding steel picnic table with or without folding stools therefor.

It is an object of this invention to provide a table-bench combination of compact knock-down construction.

A further object is to provide a table-bench combination which may be assembled and dismantled in a minimum amount of time and with minimum eflFort.

A still further object is to provide a table-bench combination .of knock-down construction which is compact whereby portability and optimum storage is efliected.

Another object is to provide a table-bench combination which may be assembled without the use of tools.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tablebench combination which may be easily and inexpensively produced.

Another object is to provide a table-bench combination which does not require the use of hardware or auxiliary bracing or .other extra fastening means.

Another object is to provide a table-bench combination of the above character which may also have a childs seat of the same knock-down, easy-store structure.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

A novel structure has now been devised which involves the mere use of a sheet, such as plywood, appropriately cut to fit together to form a table-bench combination, with or without a childs seat. More specifically, the sheet is cut into a table top, two bench tops, table and bench supporting members, and, if desired, a childs seat, which interfit in knock-down construction fashion via slots to form a table-bench combination. No hardware or auxiliary support or bracing means is utilized. And, the knocked down form is extremely compact, so that storage and transportability is easily accomplished.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal layout of all the parts of the table-bench combination.

FIG. 2 is an isometric exploded view of the parts.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view showing the table-bench in assembled condition.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a pattern-like arrangement of the various pieces as they would appear when first cut from 3,300,245 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 a single piece of rectangular stock such as a 4' by 8 sheet of plywood. Note that there is a minimum of waste. The unnumbered dotted shapes represent such waste and it should be evident that it has been kept to a minimum.

The parts shown in FIG. 1 may be assembled as in FIG. 2 into a table-bench combination as shown in FIG. 3. The combination comprises a table top 1, two bench tops 2, two bench supports 3, a table support 4, and two tablebench legs 5.

The table top 1 is preferably substantially rectangular in shape to utilize as much of the sheet of plywood as possible and is preferably provided with rectangular tablebench leg cutouts 9 adapted to receive tabs 14 of the table-bench legs 5. Shifting is therefore avoided. In addition, the coaction of the cut-outs with the tabs provides rigidity.

Each bench top 2 is also preferably of rectangular shape, and is provided with two bench support slots 10 at each end, which are adapted to receive one of the appropriate bench top tabs 12 of the bench support 3 which supports the bench top 2. Lateral or transverse shifting is therefore avoided, and, in addition, a lock on the parts, plus rigidity, is eifected.

Each bench support 3 is also substantially rectangular. The two bench top tabs 12, formed at the upper corners (as seen in FIG. 2), fit into the bench slots 10, as described above. Additionally, they each contain two tablebench leg slots 11 extending downwardly (as seen in FIG. 2), each adapted to fit into a bench support slot 17 in the table-bench legs 5.

The table support 4 is a truncated A in shape. It contains two table-bench leg slots 13 adapted to fit into the two table support slots 15, one in each of the table-bench legs 5.

The table-bench legs 5 may be generally described as truncated As with horizontal bench ledges 18 extending outwardly from about the midpoint of the side edges. The legs 5 are adapted to receive in the following order: the table support 4 with slots 13 in slots 15, the bench supports 3 with slots 11 in slots 17, the bench tops 2 with tabs 12 in slots 10, and in addition, with the inner lateral edges 40 of the bench tops 2 in bench top locking slots 16, and the table top 1 with tabs 14 in cut-outs 9.

If desired, a childs seat may also be cut from the single piece of rectangular stock. It will be noted that a substantial portion of stock remains after cut-out of the table support 4 and one table bench leg 5. Using such stock, two childs seat legs 8 are cut from. the stock remaining from table support 4 with scrap pieces 22 remaining, and a childs seat back 6 and seat bottom 7 from the stock remaining from the lowest table bench leg 5 as seen in FIG. 1 with scrap pieces 27 and 28 remaining.

Each childs seat leg 8 contains a seat back locking slot 20 which receives a seat bottom slot 23 within the seat bottom. Each leg also contains a bench top locking tab 32 which fits into one of the childs seat locking slot 30 or 31 of one of the bench tops 2. In use, each leg 8 has a bottom surface 9 which rests .on the bench top 2.

The seat bottom 7, in use, rests on top surface or ledge 21 of each seat leg 8. In addition, seat back tab 25 extends into seat bottom cut-out 24 and table-bench leg slot 26 of the seat bottom 7 fits into seat bottom slot 33 of the table-bench leg 5. The interaction of slots 26 and 33 along with tab 32 and slots 30 and 31 eifects a lock on the assembled childs seat. Indeed, the lock is so effective that lateral (along the bench length) or backward (away from the table top) movement is substantially impossible. The entire table-bench with childs seat afiixed may even be lifted via the childs seat.

By referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the cooperation between the various pieces will be readily apparent. As will be noted, the assembly is fairly simple. The table-bench legs 5 are first positioned in a spaced vertical position and held there by the laterally positioned bench and table supports 3 and 4. Slots 11 in the bench supports 3 fit into slots 17 of the table-bench legs 5 .so that the upper edges are in the same horizontal plane. Likewise, slots 13 of the table support 4 fit into slots of the table-bench legs 5 so that their upper edges are in the same horizontal plane. In this manner, both the table top 1 and the bench tops 2 will rest flatly on and be supported by the upward facing surfaces (the horizontal ledges 18 and the upper table top support surface 41) of the table-bench legs 5.

As shown in FIG. 3 the tabs 14 and 12 only extend vertically upward from the table-bench legs 5 so as to provide smooth surface with table top 1 or the bench 2.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the depth of slots 13 and the height of slots 15 are sufiicient to enable full length abutment of the center portion of the legs 5 with support 4. In this manner, the legs are extremely stable. Any lateral force applied against the table or the legs is distributed down along the entire length of the slots 13 Bench top locking slots 16 provide for easy movement of the assembled table. By merely grasping the inner edge 40 of a bench top, the entire table can be lifted without fear that it will fall apart.

If the childs seat is utilized, in combination with the table-bench assembly, it is almost like that of the tablebench. The childs seat legs 8 are first positioned on one bench top in a spaced vertical position, and, with tabs 32 in slots 30 and 31 of the bench top, the legs are held in vertical position by back 6 via coaction of slots 23 and slots 20. Then the seat bottom is positioned on ledges 21 with tab 25 in cut-out 24 and with slot 26 in slot 33 of the tablesbench leg.

As may be noted from the drawings, this invention provides a stable table with two attached benches, and, if desired, a childs seat without the use of screws or bolts. Lateral and transverse motion of the table-bench or of the childs seat in a plane horizontal to the benches is inhibited by the cooperation between tabs 12 and slots 10, tabs 14 in cut-outs 9, tabs 32 in slots 30 and 31 and tab 25 in slot 33- The absence of any hardward or other extraneous fastening means obviously reduces the cost of the tablebench with or without childs seat combination to the consumer. It also eliminates the need for tools for assembling and dismantllng and enables assembly and dismantling to be accomplished in a minimum amount of time.

The sheet stock used for manufacturing the table-bench combination, with or without childs seat, may be wood, metal or plastic, as well as laminates thereof such as plywood, fiberglass and the like.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efliciently attained, and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense,

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A table-bench combination of knock-down construction comprising: a pair of spaced table-bench legs, each having an upper table top support surface and an intermediate ledge extending outwardly from at least one side thereof, a table support and at least one bench support, said supports and said legs having slots which engage slots in said legs to maintain said legs in a fixed spaced parallel position; a table top resting on and supported by the upper table support surface of said legs and the upper edge of said table support and at least one bench top resting on and supported by the upper edges of the intermediate ledge of said legs and the upper edge of said bench support, and tabs on said bench support which engage slots in said bench.

2. The table-bench combination of claim 1 wherein the intermediate ledge of said legs extends inwardly to form a locking slot, which slot receives the inner edge of the bench to lock it to said legs whereby movement of the table-bench combination without disassembly is provided.

3. The table-bench combination of claim 1 wherein the table support surface of each leg contains upwardly extending tabs and wherein the table top contains cutouts corresponding to said tabs and contain said tabs when said table-bench combination is in assemble-d condition.

4. The table-bench combination of claim 1 wherein the bench support attached to the intermediate ledge of the table-bench legs contains tabs extending upwardly at its outer edges and wherein the bench top contains a slot at each of its ends which slots are adapted to fit about and contain said tabs when said table-bench combination is assembled.

5. The table-bench combination of claim 1 wherein the table support has full length abutment against said legs whereby increase-d stability of the table-bench combination is provided.

6. The table-bench combination of claim 1 having, in addition, a childs seat for affixation to said bench top and to said table-bench legs, said childs seat comprising two childs seat legs, a back and a seat bottom, said legs and said back having slots which engage each other to maintain said legs in a fixed spaced parallel position, and said seat bottom being positioned on said legs and said legs and said back having locking means to lock said legs and back to each other and said legs and seat bottom having locking means to lock said childs seat to the table-bench combination.

7. The table-bench combination of claim 1 having, in addition, a childs seat for affixation to said bench top and to said table bench legs, said childs seat comprising two childs seat legs, a back and a seat bottom, said legs and said back having slots which engage each other to maintain said legs in a fixed spaced parallel position, and said seat bottom being positioned on said legs and having a locking tab, and said seat back having a locking slot, into which said tab extends to lock said bottom to said back, and said legs each having a downwardly extending tab engaging the inner edge of said bench and said bottom having a slot which engages a slot on one of said tablebench legs to lock said childs seat to the table-bench combination.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,645,336 10/1927 McGlothern 297442 X 2,481,671 9/1949 John et al 10853 X 2,632,498 3/1953 Curtis 297442 2,661,792 12/1953 Lysaght 108--153 X 2,720,253 10/1955 Turner et a1 297-442 3,069,219 12/1962 Vaeth 312-257 X 3,101,061 8/1963 Amend 297157 X 3,149,880 9/1964 Steuer 297442 3,250,570 5/1966 Smith et al 297442 FRANK B SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

I. T. MCCALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TABLE-BENCH COMBINATION OF KNOCK-DOWN CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING: A PAIR OF SPACED TABLE-BENCH LEGS, EACH HAVING AN UPPER TABLE TOP SUPPORT SURFACE AND AN INTERMEDIATE LEDGE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM AT LEAST ONE SIDE THEREOF, A TABLE SUPPORT AND AT LEAST ONE BENCH SUPPORT, SAID SUPPORTS AND SAID LEGS HAVING SLOTS WHICH ENGAGE SLOTS IN SAID LEGS TO MAINTAIN SAID LEGS IN A FIXED SPACED PARALLEL POSITION; A TABLE TOP RESTING ON AND SUPPORTED BY THE UPPER TABLE SUPPORT SURFACE OF SAID LEGS AND THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID TABLE SUPPORT AND AT LEAST ONE BENCH TOP RESTING ON AND SUPPORTED BY THE UPPER EDGES OF THE INTERMEDIATE LEDGE OF SAID LEGS AND THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID BENCH SUPPORT, AND TABS ON SAID BENCH SUPPORT WHICH ENGAGE SLOTS IN SAID BENCH. 